Southwest Iowa STEM

Regional Newsletter: January 2023

2023 STEM Scale Up Program Menu

2023-2024 Iowa STEM Scale-Up

Educator Applications Are Now Open

We are excited to announce that through a rigorous selection process, the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council has selected 13 high-quality STEM programs to scale in Iowa for the 2023 - 2024 academic year! Applications are now open.



What is the Iowa STEM Scale-Up Program?

Since 2012, the STEM Council has partnered with some of the most successful STEM education programs that have reached up to 100,000 young Iowa learners each year, engaging them in exemplary STEM curricula across the state. Thousands of educators in and out of schools across Iowa have delivered exciting units in robotics, coding, engineering design, agriculture, animal science, and more.


Who can apply?

PreK-12 cross-curricular educators, both in and out of the classroom, are eligible to apply so long as they have undergone a criminal background check as a requirement of employment. Eligible applicant(s) include public and private school PreK-12 teachers, youth organization leaders, informal education professionals, home school associations, and others who deliver STEM education programming. Every applicant must secure the commitment and signature of the institution’s lead administrator(s).


2023-2024 Timeline

  • January 9, 2023: Educator application opens
  • February 28, 2023, 6:00 PM Central Standard Time: Educator application submission deadline
  • March – April 2023: Review period
  • April 7, 2023: Awardees notified
  • May 2023: Program providers introduced to awarded educators to begin planning
  • Summer 2023: Training and professional development in preparation for program implementation during the 2021-2022 academic year
  • July 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024: Implementation


Click on the links below to find out more about each of the programs on this year's STEM Scale Up Menu!


➡️ Codelicious (K-6)

➡️ Daily Math Fluency Centers (K-5)

➡️ Discover Drones (7-12)

➡️ Innovate-IT (9-12)

➡️ Ioponics (PK-12)

➡️ Iowa Leadership in Engineering Design (K-12)

➡️ Positive Physics and Chemistry (8-12)

➡️ Python for the BBS micro:bit (6-12)

➡️ STEM Cart: K-12+ STEM Solution (K-12)

➡️ STEM Innovator (6-12)

➡️ Storytime STEM-packs: STEM + Computer Science (PK-2)

➡️ Tiny Techies (PK-2)

➡️ Waterworks: Engineering and Investigating the Properties of Water (PK-2)


Click HERE to apply today!



Scale Up In Action

The Impact of Scale Up In Southwest Iowa

In the past year, STEM Scale Up programs and awards have impacted over 200 Southwest Iowa educators and over 13,000 students. Below, are videos of a few of the implementing educators sharing how Scale Up awards have impacted their students and their classroom instruction, and why they would encourage others to apply as well!

Emily Irr: High School Science Teacher

Emily Irr is the secondary science teacher at Lenox High School. Emily has applied for and received multiple Scale Up awards over the past few years, including Ioponics and Soapy Cilantro this past summer. Emily uses Scale Up programming to engage students in applying the concepts she teaches in her core science classes to real world scenarios where they can see those concepts come to life.

Dr. Jane Chaillie: Elementary Principal

Dr. Jane Chaillie is the preschool and elementary principal at Inman Elementary in Red Oak. Inman Elementary received several Scale Up awards last year and Dr. Chaillie has seen improvement not only in student engagement with the Scale Up awards, but also in the critical thinking that is happening in the classrooms.

Burke Swenson: Middle School STEM Teacher

Burke Swenson teaches STEM classes to 6-8 grade students at Lewis Central Middle School in Council Bluffs. Over the years, Mr. Swenson has received several Scale Up awards, some 8-9 years old, that he is still using in his curriculum. Mr. Swenson uses the programs to not only engage students in STEM concepts, but also to make connections to high demand careers.

Spring Regional STEM Festival Information


March 9 -- 2023 STEM Family Night, Earlham Schools


April 5 -- Graceland University STEAM Fest, Lamoni


For more information on either of these events, please email jehm@iowastem.org!

📆 Upcoming STEM Events 📆

January 31: SW STEM Advisory Board Meeting

February 8: STEM Day at the Capital

February 8: STEM Mega Board Meeting

February 22: Authentic Learning Network Student Expo

February 28: Scale Up application closes

March 9: Earlham STEM Festival

March 21: SW STEM Advisory Board Meeting

March 28: Region 14- 8th Grade Career Conference at SWCC

April 5: Graceland College STEAM Festival

April 11: Region 14- 8th Grade Career Conference at SWCC

April 25: SW STEM Advisory Board Meeting

July 10-14: Camp Invention ⬅️ Click for more information!

Community STEM: Email us details on your STEM Event so we can help you share it! 

Thank you to the Southwest Regional STEM Board for your service and support! 


  • Jane Chaillie
  • Misty Grey
  • Denise Hoag
  • Larry Jonson
  • Stephanie Lane 
  • Janell Leinen
  • Deb Sprecker
  • Kristin Sheffield
  • Jason Smith
  • Lindsay Stoaks
  • Terry Torneton